This is hardly a blip to South Korea. But it is an incredibly damaging thing for the North to do to itself; losing the currency it was generating, and the business. When their people eventually rise up against their government, it is going to be more bloody than anything seen in the last 100 years, I promise.

ontariolightning:BolloxReader: Weren't there people saying that as long as this complex was going, there wasn't anything to worry about?I think the game just got interesting.

meh. They've closed it down multiple times before.

Yeah, this. The North Koreans are assholes, but they're not suicidal. They'll just continue to bluster and threaten, like a bully in an empty schoolyard. But also like a bully, they won't throw a punch against anyone who could ever possibly fight back.

I do wonder, though - if they did attack South Korea, what would happen? Judging by our wars since WII, the U.S. isn't exactly known for winning. My guess is we'd declare war and then try not to hurt anyone. Again.

Incontinent_dog_and_monkey_rodeo:I think part of the problem is that Lil Kim wants more of a reaction than he's getting. When you cry wolf so often, the world just goes "Meh" and you lose face to your own leadership.

So far the response has been, "Do you really want to play this game?" Sending in B-2's is a pretty clear message that if he's really a new leader he better act like one, and soon.

Benevolent Misanthrope:I do wonder, though - if they did attack South Korea, what would happen? Judging by our wars since WII, the U.S. isn't exactly known for winning. My guess is we'd declare war and then try not to hurt anyone. Again.

Does China really want to risk triggering WW3, or do they want to send us a bill for helping them "nation build" North Korea?

meat0918:jpo2269: Sadly, it seems as if Un is hell bent on getting his arse kicked. Hopefully he wakes up prior to crossing the line of no return... Unfortunately I am not very optimistic.

Maybe that's the point.

Maybe he doesn't want to be Dear Leader, but the real powers in the country need their figure head to continue to live like kings.

That's very possible. Or maybe the military are fed up with the dynasty and are taking advantage of his youth by "advising" him to do stupid stuff. They could be hoping someone will intervene, whoop Kimmy boy's ass & leave a nice power vacuum for them to fill; I bet they're envious of the lifestyles of their equivalents over in China?

davidphogan:Does China really want to risk triggering WW3, or do they want to send us a bill for helping them "nation build" North Korea?

Wait... This might not be a bad idea. The US gets cheap Chinese labor, the Chinese get employment without building more empty skyscrapers, the South Koreans get a kind-of reunified peninsula (minus all those the Chinese need to borrow), North Korea gets rebuilt from scratch, and if we really want to we can tack on a good 5-10 year war with China to thin out the ranks of healthy young males on both sides and get the economy out of this funk.

Since I'm over 30, I'm not sure if this is a terrible idea or a good one.

MaudlinMutantMollusk:Satanic_Hamster: For the life of me, I don't understand why any South Korean would enter North Korean controlled territory. You KNOW there's a chance of being killed or held hostage.

Officials have also confirmed that the USS John McCain, an Aegis-class destroyer capable of intercepting missiles, has been positioned off the Korean peninsula.

Man, pet peeve of mine. There's no such thing as an Aegis-class destroyer. Aegis is a system, not a ship class.

Cthulhu_is_my_homeboy:MaudlinMutantMollusk: Satanic_Hamster: For the life of me, I don't understand why any South Korean would enter North Korean controlled territory. You KNOW there's a chance of being killed or held hostage.

Officials have also confirmed that the USS John McCain, an Aegis-class destroyer capable of intercepting missiles, has been positioned off the Korean peninsula.

Man, pet peeve of mine. There's no such thing as an Aegis-class destroyer. Aegis is a system, not a ship class.

I got a bigger problem with naming a ship after John McCain

/that sucker is gonna get captured for sure

It's named after his dad, I think.

That would make more sense, seeing as how they don't typically name ships after live, sitting office holders

/not nearly as funny, though//looking for a deal on a good used sarcasm detector?

ACunningPlan:meat0918: jpo2269: Sadly, it seems as if Un is hell bent on getting his arse kicked. Hopefully he wakes up prior to crossing the line of no return... Unfortunately I am not very optimistic.

Maybe that's the point.

Maybe he doesn't want to be Dear Leader, but the real powers in the country need their figure head to continue to live like kings.

That's very possible. Or maybe the military are fed up with the dynasty and are taking advantage of his youth by "advising" him to do stupid stuff. They could be hoping someone will intervene, whoop Kimmy boy's ass & leave a nice power vacuum for them to fill; I bet they're envious of the lifestyles of their equivalents over in China?

I've been telling everyone this.... chubby kim is being led with a lot of bowing and scraping right into a big pile of poop.